6 Ways A Chiropractor In Amarillo Can Help Athletes
Dr. Jeff Williams, Chiropractor in Amarillo, TX sheds light on the topic
When it comes to sports and chiropractic, listen up because chiropractic and sports go together like peanut butter and jelly. Just ask every professional sports team and almost all Division I college sports teams. They understand the benefits and want the edge that regular chiropractic care provides their athletes.
If you are an athlete and you are not utilizing regular chiropractic care as part of your program, these teams know something you do not. They know that research has shown more and more over the last 5-10 years that spinal manipulation and chiropractic, in general, is impressively effective for neuromusculoskeletal and biomechanical conditions, it is safe, and it is cost-effective. All at the same time. Especially cost-effective when compared to traditional medical care and physical therapy.
At this point in the article, it makes sense to be clear on what exactly chiropractic is. It is not simply a treatment modality. It is a profession that can include A LOT of different types of treatments that can be graded or tempered to fit almost every type of patient.
Chiropractic is a Profession Not a Treatment
Chiropractic treatment includes broad treatment management which may include spinal manipulative therapy, exercise/rehab, muscle work, proprioceptive training, acupuncture, low-level laser, non-surgical spinal decompression, sports preparation/recovery, therapeutic modalities, attention to the biomechanics, balance training, posture training, etc.
Looking at chiropractic in this manner starts to broaden the spectrum of what is possible when treating with an educated, experienced, and capable chiropractor. When you consider that chiropractors are integrating more and more into medical practice settings, it makes more sense that this new, more modern style of chiropractic, is the type of chiropractor you should consider working with.
How Does Chiropractic Care Help Athletes?
Alright, let us get into the finer points of how chiropractic helps athletes get ‘the edge’ on the competition.
- Pre-game Warm-up – Chiropractors are excellent team members when it comes to getting the athlete prepared for the impending practice or, even more importantly, the coming competition! Let us not fool ourselves; any advantage is welcome and chiropractic care is exactly that – the advantage. Chiropractors help athletes prepare by helping perform targetted stretching and taping.
- How Your Body Works – When joints are freed up and allowed to move or function the way they were intended to function, you may be amazed at what a well-trained body is capable of. When your body is not resisting you, it takes less effort to accomplish your intended goal. Less energy expelled means you have more endurance over the long term. Also, in any joint, if there is a muscle imbalance from one side of the joint to the other, the joint will wear unevenly. Uneven wear means accelerated wearing. The accelerated wearing of joints usually means more injuries and a shorter career.
- Analgesia – Spinal manipulation induces an analgesic effect on the joints targeted. That means that research has shown spinal manipulation works much like Ibuprofen or Tylenol when used correctly for the right patients. When an athlete is feeling better and suffering less pain, you can bet that they are performing at a higher level with less concern about that nagging pain.
- More Movement – Having more movement or a wider spectrum regarding your range of motion can make a HUGE difference! Trust me, without boosting myself too much, I won state here in Texas in the discus and competed at State in the shot put. Especially in the discus alone, I cannot imagine how an athlete could perform a smooth, perfectly coordinated wind-up, elegant spin, and powerful throw without a good range of motion from the waist, low back, hips, ankles, shoulders, etc. Heck, the whole body is used in a discus throw. Range of motion is vital and chiropractors are a key component to increasing your range of motion.
- Post Event – The chiropractor can aid athletes in cooling down after an event through targeted stretching and techniques to minimize recovery time. When you minimize recovery time, we can help the athlete be better prepared for the next practice or competition. When you think about what chiropractors can do for neck pain, back pain, headaches, and migraines alone, you start to understand how a chiropractor can get that athlete prepared for the next go at it.
- No Pills – Not only can chiropractic help athletes stay off of pain pills that, many times, are addictive, but chiropractic is as effective or more effective than many of the most common pain killers including Diclofenac.
Considering all of the tools in the chiropractic toolbox, we could talk about the benefits for pages and pages. But this is a quick list to get you thinking about some of the biggest benefits you may be missing out on.
If you are an athlete, get the edge. Get on board with chiropractic.
If you are in the Amarillo, TX area or passing through and would like to be evaluated, call Creek Stone Integrated Care at 806-355-3000 to be seen.
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Dr. Jeff Williams, DC, FIANM is a Fellowship-trained Neuromusculoskeletal specialist and chiropractor in Amarillo, TX. As an Amarillo chiropractor, Dr. Williams treats chronic pain, disc pain, low back pain, neck pain, whiplash injuries, and more. Dr. Williams is also the host of The Chiropractic Forward Podcast (http://www.chiropracticforward.com). Through the podcast, Dr. Williams teaches fellow chiropractors and advocates weekly for evidence-based, patient-centered practice through current and relevant research. If you have any questions for Dr. Williams, feel free to email at [email protected]Learn more about Dr. Williams and his practice at https://www.amarillochiropractor.com.
Dr. Williams's full-time Amarillo chiropractic practice is Creek Stone Integrated Care at 3501 SW 45th St., Ste. T, Amarillo, TX 79109. If you are searching for a chiropractor near me, Dr. Williams is your Amarillo Chiropractor.
